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Shorebirds’ first winning record since 2008 still within reach

While the Delmarva Shorebirds (65-68) have struggled to maintain a .500 record due to an inconsistent second half of the season, they did get a tough road win Tuesday night against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (82-52), to keep alive their hopes of a winning record on the season.

Pitching played a crucial factor in the victory, as Mitch Horacek took the mound to start the game for Delmarva, allowing only one run and four hits through seven innings. As of Coastal Point press time on Wednesday, Aug. 27, Horacek led the team in strikeouts, with 151 on the season.

Offensively, the ’Birds got the scoring started early, with Greg Lorenzo cracking a double down the third-base line and scoring off a Josh Hart RBI-single.

The Grasshoppers would go on to even the score in the first inning, but Delmarva took the lead again in the third inning with another RBI-single, this time from Creede Simpson. Lorenzo would tally an RBI of his own, with a single to center in the fourth, and Anthony Caronia’s chopper past short in the fifth would knock in another run.

Up 5-1 in the eighth, Derrick Bleeker would close the game for Delmarva after giving up a two-run homer to the Grasshopper’s Brian Anderson, with the final score ending up 5-3.

Notably, Lorenzo went four for five from the plate in the matchup, and Caronia went three for four. Horacek improved to 6-10 as a starter with the victory.

The win put the Shorebirds at 65-68 on the season, just three games under .500. Delmarva hasn’t posted a winning record on the season since 2008.

While the team battles to snap their streak of losing records, they’ll have to do so without pitcher Alex Santana, who was promoted to AA affiliate Bowie last week. The news of Santana’s promotion comes less than a week after pitcher Steve Brault was promoted to A+ affiliate Frederick. Brault led the team in wins, with nine, a .305 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP this season during his time as a Shorebird.

This Labor Day weekend, Delmarva will return home for a series against Hickory (76-57) for their final four games of the season.